Barely a couple of months after the E300 debut representing the saloon form of the all-new E-Class in Malaysia, the bread-&-butter E200 CGI has quietly crept into M-B showrooms locally. Priced at a more realistic - but no less lofty - RM366,888 this is the E-Class that's set to push the bulk of the W212s to be sold officially (and not-so-officially a few years down the road). Not some fancy looking coupe that's more cramped internally - based on the W204 chassis - yet ridiculously overpriced, with a set of more Nissan Slyphy-ish rear lights. The basic block of its 1.8l engine is carried over from the W211, displacing a remarkably similar 1796cc, reworked with a new top cam, pistons and con-rods to take up the higher stresses of direct gasoline injection plus turbocharging. Hence the acronym Charged Gasoline Injection (CGI). 10Nm), initial drive has revealed a more punchier powerplant with perhaps the old school 5 A/T somewhat gagging the true potential of Daimler's reincarnated 4-pot modernised for the new decade.
Nissan reckons the Navara pushes the boundaries closer to a ‘crossover’ SUV driving experience than anything else in its sector. But while the advanced multi-link rear suspension does smooth the ride somewhat, it's not quite the revolution that Nissan hopes it to be. There's less rear end ‘bounce’, familiar to anyone who’s driven such vehicles, although the Mercedes X-Class does an even better job in this regard. Either way, it doesn't affect the way the Navara performs when you head off-road. If you want to know how important the double-cab pick-up class is globally, then look no further than the arrival of Mercedes in the sector with the X-Class. This is arguably the world's first premium pick-up, with a price to match and plenty of switchgear inside inspired by the Mercedes car range. Look past the three-pointed star on the grille, and what you see here is a badge-engineered variant of the Nissan Navara.
Power comes from the same 2.3-litre diesel as the Navara, but in two power outputs badged the X 220 d and X 250 d, which come with manual or auto gearboxes respectively. There's also the X 350 d, which features a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, permanent 4WD and an auto box as standard. Power trim comes with all the bells and whistles you would expect from a top-spec Merc, while even the basic Pure model is reasonably well equipped. The Volkswagen Amarok is only available as a double-cab in the UK and it's relatively expensive, but like the X-Class it actually delivers on the claim that it feels ‘car-like’ from behind the wheel. Thanks to a great combination of rugged practicality and a quality feel, it remains one of the most desirable pick-ups on the market. The latest version is powered by a punchy 3.0 V6 TDI engine that replaces the old 2.0-litre units.
The most powerful 254bhp version has plenty of punch for overtaking and a stump-pulling 580Nm of torque from 1,400rpm for towing or tackling serious 45-degree off-road inclines. Economy of 34mpg economy makes it more expensive to run than 4-cylinder rivals though. On the road it’s easy to forget that the Amarok isn’t an easy-driving SUV, although a hint of rear-end bounce that typifies the pick-up genre is evident. The hefty ladder-framed Amarok can’t truly match the poise, dynamism or comfort of contemporary road-focused SUVs, but with V6 muscle many more drivers should find the vehicle rewarding enough for that not to matter. The interior fit and finish is excellent, including a handsome new fascia design that looks and feels better screwed together than any rival bar the Mercedes X-Class. The front seats offer loads of adjustment, and with full steering wheel adjustment, the driving position is more car-like and comfortable than you might expect from a pick-up. Over 18 million Toyota Hiluxes have been built since 1968, making it one of the best-selling trucks in the world.
